UK charts from memory-map

[BSJ2]

Yep - that looks like it

Note
Includes full Memory-Map PC Software and Pocket Navigator™ for Windows Mobile.

I believe that this version of Memory Map is the standard one - If you want the Pro version, go to the USA site and upgrade. The Pro has AIS input and allows you to print out charts larger than A4. I often print paper charts on A3 paper and take them on the boat in plastic envelopes. You can scribble on them as much as you like then throw them away and print another (only when you need it).

mjf - note - this isn't Maptech's Offshore Navigator software.

Finally, there's a trick you can do with Memory Map that avoids the need to register the charts more than once. I hate software that insists on reregistering every time that you rebuild your PC - I dont mind paying for software but I really object it requiring re-registration every time you re-install the data. This is the main reason I like Memory Map so much. PM me for details.

is it safe to print out charts? as i have always been concerned about scales slightly changing?i know they always warn you when copying building site drawings etc?

 

[Hurricane]

is it safe to print out charts? as i have always been concerned about scales slightly changing?i know they always warn you when copying building site drawings etc?

I think it depends on how you use them.
If you were being ultra accurate, then they wouldnt be the best charts to use.

But how accurate do you need to be?
How accurate is a visual fix anyway?
If you are trying to fix your position on a chart in a mobo, you will probably have moved further that the accuracy of the chart before you even put the pencil on the chart.
I dont often find the need to plot onto paper charts anyway - paper charts are becoming more and more a backup these days. We always have a paper chart of the area available and these printed out Memory Map charts are in addition and, as I say, can be scribbled on and then thrown away.
Thinking about it, though, they are fine for most passages.

When Printing the charts, I dont actually print them to any set scale anyway - so, in my case, I would have to get the dividers out if I needed to plot a actual distance.
The only time that it would become a problem is if all my GPS systems (thats 4 separate systems) had gone down and I needed to fix my position - using radar for example.

 

[BSJ2]

I think it depends on how you use them.
If you were being ultra accurate, then they wouldnt be the best charts to use.

But how accurate do you need to be?
How accurate is a visual fix anyway?
If you are trying to fix your position on a chart in a mobo, you will probably have moved further that the accuracy of the chart before you even put the pencil on the chart.
I dont often find the need to plot onto paper charts anyway - paper charts are becoming more and more a backup these days. We always have a paper chart of the area available and these printed out Memory Map charts are in addition and, as I say, can be scribbled on and then thrown away.
Thinking about it, though, they are fine for most passages.

When Printing the charts, I dont actually print them to any set scale anyway - so, in my case, I would have to get the dividers out if I needed to plot a actual distance.
The only time that it would become a problem is if all my GPS systems (thats 4 separate systems) had gone down and I needed to fix my position - using radar for example.

totally agree, paper charts on the flybridge are bordering on useless but on the arrival into an unkown marina/town.? accurate charts are very useful? but i would agree who is really going to get their dividers out on the approaches to l'aber'wrach or wherever?
although i would very much like a paper chart to print out, scribble on a few notes and bin it on arrival?

 

[Hurricane]

totally agree, paper charts on the flybridge are bordering on useless but on the arrival into an unkown marina/town.? accurate charts are very useful? but i would agree who is really going to get their dividers out on the approaches to l'aber'wrach or wherever?
although i would very much like a paper chart to print out, scribble on a few notes and bin it on arrival?

Agreed

And as said above, we have the same charts showing on the flybridge monitors/plotters as the ones that we've previously printed out so you can immediatly relate to them. Also the Navionics charts of the same area are available at the push of a button. Two sets of data immediatly available.

A concept thats been missed a little on this thread is that PC software with PC charts provides an excellent method of planning (even at home whilst away from the boat). How many times have you had one of the excellent Admiralty Chart Packs out to plan a trip and found it difficult to switch between charts? - the one you want always seems to have temporally vanished - often found on the back of the one you are currently looking at.
Using software like MM, you have instant access to all the charts under the cursor - and some of mine also have a aerial photos of the area available.

 

[kcrane]

iPhone MMap

I've just bought MMap from the Apple AppStore, purchasing a package listed as "PC & IPhone" which was £39.99.

It isn't that obvious how you get the maps. The app is generally pretty non-intuitive.

My assumption was it would give me a big list, and I'd say "Download All" and that would be it. What it seems to do instead is look at where you have your cursor, and if you find the right icon it shows you what maps you have already downloaded for that location. If you then find another different icon you can also get it to show you the maps you have not yet downloaded for that location. If you choose one and you are licensed, it downloads it.

As you zoom in and out, or move to a new area, it will switch between OS maps, AA maps and marine charts, depending on what is available. AA road maps can be disconcerting if you are on a boat. Turns out you can tell it which types of map should be "hidden", and then it sticks to charts.

The website is a poor design. I had to work out how to get a copy of the software for the PC without buying it again. Now that I have it I can't get the charts. It wants a registration number, which wasn't supplied with the receipts I received and the link from the program to the online Map Store doesn't do anything.

I've asked for support to sort it out and will re-post when I have it working.

To be fair £39.99 for charts of the UK on a PC and iPhone is a bargain, but MMap seems to be nothing like as straightforward as the iPhone Navionics app.

 

[Hurricane]

I've just bought MMap from the Apple AppStore, purchasing a package listed as "PC & IPhone" which was £39.99.

It isn't that obvious how you get the maps. The app is generally pretty non-intuitive.

My assumption was it would give me a big list, and I'd say "Download All" and that would be it. What it seems to do instead is look at where you have your cursor, and if you find the right icon it shows you what maps you have already downloaded for that location. If you then find another different icon you can also get it to show you the maps you have not yet downloaded for that location. If you choose one and you are licensed, it downloads it.

As you zoom in and out, or move to a new area, it will switch between OS maps, AA maps and marine charts, depending on what is available. AA road maps can be disconcerting if you are on a boat. Turns out you can tell it which types of map should be "hidden", and then it sticks to charts.

The website is a poor design. I had to work out how to get a copy of the software for the PC without buying it again. Now that I have it I can't get the charts. It wants a registration number, which wasn't supplied with the receipts I received and the link from the program to the online Map Store doesn't do anything.

I've asked for support to sort it out and will re-post when I have it working.

To be fair £39.99 for charts of the UK on a PC and iPhone is a bargain, but MMap seems to be nothing like as straightforward as the iPhone Navionics app.

Interesting - I was wondering how it worked with the iPhone - could also go on an iPad but as there is no GPS version of the iPad I wonder if a bluetooth GPS would work.

I use MM on my HP iPaq running Windows Mobile.
It works differently in that you get the PC software running first and then download to the iPaq. Software is downloaded just like any other Windows Mobile app but charts can be downloaded either directly to the iPaq or onto a memory card (CF etc).

I understand your point about the maps available as you zoom in / out etc. I actually keep two databases of maps - one for road/OS maps and the other with purely charts - both the OS version and the Navigator versions of MM will install "side by side" on the same PC but each can "point" at a seperate database.

 

[kcrane]

Interesting - I was wondering how it worked with the iPhone - could also go on an iPad but as there is no GPS version of the iPad I wonder if a bluetooth GPS would work.

SWMBO is an 'i' aficionado so already has a UK iPad.

While iPhone apps will run, they appear as an iPhone sized screen in the middle of the large iPad screen, they don't zoom out to fill it. When you are looking for iPad applications, you have to look for ones named as "HD" for high definition or for a "+" sign. I didn't see an iPad compatible MMap version.

There is however an HD version of Navionics, which works very well. Redraw is quick as the iPad is faster than an iPhone. It now has a satellite image overlay which is not much use, but looks very flash.

The iPad does have GPS, and it also has the compass introduced with the iPhone 3Gs. Google maps works very well and re-orientates to the direction you are travelling.

The battery life is much better than an iPhone. It appears to last a few days without charging (though constant GPS will drain it faster).

We'll take it to the boat tomorrow, throw away our paper charts, unplug the Furuno and give it a spin as our only navigation option whilst going into an unknown port, at speed, in fog. Kidding of course.

 

[BSJ2]

I have just loaded the £40 version of memory map onto my laptop. does anybody know whether you can change the orientation of the chart, head up/north up etc? and if you hover over the tidal diamonds should anything happen on this chart set up?

 

[kcrane]

After some to and fro Memory Map support helped get me started on the PC version.

To get started you have to go to a specific address on their web site and download a map (not a marine chart). Then you place it in a folder on your PC, and point Memory Map at it. Then you load that map into the software.

Then you move around on that map to a place on the coast (say Portsmouth). Then you choose the option to visit the online map store, and it comes up with a list of maps it has for that location, including charts (hurray). You download the chart, and then activate it.

Phew, I now have some charts.

I've asked if it is possible to simply download all charts for which I have a licence.

 

[ExcaliburII]

I ordered the DVD from Memory Map with all the charts and the latest version of the software on it as it seemed simpler than trying to download it all. And I've still got the DVD in case I need to install it all again.

The postman brought it a couple of days later and I just installed it on my PC. Admittedly, the software installed itself in place of the previous version without asking me first, but it all worked OK and I can still access all my old OS maps and data with it. You have to apply for a licence on their website as part of the installation process, but it was all quite straightforward, I thought.

I then copied all the charts to my PDA, but the old (PDA) software couldn't read them, so I had to install the new version of the PDA program as well - it's all included in the PC software so that wasn't a problem.

It did have some difficulty finding the output from the gps in my PDA, despite the old version accessing it quite happily. But I eventually got it all sorted and it all seems to work now.

I thought having all the UK charts for £40 was very good value, and I still marvel at the fact that wherever I am in or around the UK I can access an OS map or a UKHO chart as appropriate on a gizmo that fits in my shirt pocket.

 

[kcrane]

I thought having all the UK charts for £40 was very good value

True enough...

 

[Hurricane]

The next challenge, guys, is to scan your own charts in.

I've done it several times and once you've scanned them in, you can download them to a PDA or use them just like any others.

Lots of little features in MM - routes - tracks - AIS CPA - just to mention a few.
MM doesnt "quilt" the charts which is actually a benefit as it makes for faster and better control over the display. Quilting is where more detailed charts "overlay" where there are more detailed charts. Sometimes you actually dont want more detail.

Dont forget to use the keyboard shortcuts as well - "I" for in (to switch to a more detailed chart at the cursor) "O" for out - "+" and "-" zooms but I use the scroll wheel on the mouse - click and drag to pan or use the cursor (arrow) keys (useful when creating routes etc).
Double click white space to load a chart at that position.

Use the "Route" button to measure - if the Data button is selected, a data box under the cursor shows the distances and bearings etc.

You can also split the window and have the charts in both windows synchronised but I dont use that feature much.

Now then - how about using MM as a database of all your favourite waypoints. Connect your PC to a NMEA input on your plotter and "upload" a set of waypoints that you've previously set up in MM - give the waypoints meaningful names. Routes can be "uploaded" in a similar way.

But, by far the biggest advantage of MM is planning. You can switch between charts so quickly, that you will never need another paper chart laid out on the dining room table ever again - maybe you dont use the dining room table - maybe you just go to sea - personally, I like to plan my adventures and MM is a really simple tidy way of doing it.

There are loads more hidden features but all in all - MM is simple and fast.